Rockling

I think the question is "Who let him go out like that?" - probably his grandad?

Nell Gwyn!

uncanny!

Fish the gutter! First and foremost! Try distance fishing if nothing is taking. Yakity, can you yak fish in the gutter? Would a surf board not suit you better? Only kidding!

Thanks kentangler I will bear those products in mind as I do buy in bulk. I agree the chest freezers are superior, particularly the frost free variety, I will need to save up my pennies and get one!

Processed black lug, by processed I mean frozen and refrozen several times through being taken on several trips, can work a treat sometimes as Winter has noted. Sometimes the fish will only take if a specific part of the worm is used as bait. I buy frozen bait direct from the shop and get it into a freezer fairly quickly, I think postal supply should work especially if you were fishing that day or the next, assuming same day delivery and a bulky order. It is useless to refreeze crab or sandeel in my opinion. Sandeel does have a limited life in the freezer as it tends to become 'freezer burnt' after 2 or 3 months. Most successful baits for me in 2004, in descending order, fresh lug, fresh peeler, frozen peeler, frozen mussel, frozen sandeel, farmed rag and frozen or fresh mackeral strip. Main target was cod, biggest caught was 7lb (boat) and 4lb (shore), best specimen was a 5lb ballan wrasse off the shore (returned). Fish were generally small throughout the year, the cod averaging 1 to 2lb, most were returned. On the day it was often trial and error in finding out what they would take that day, especially after a big blow when they were stuffed full of lug and taking baits very tentatively.

Introducing foreign species is fraught with unknown dangers. I would be totally against this idea for apparently 'selfish' reasons of "sport". Look at the big picture. Has there ever been a successful introduction of a foreign species anywhere in the world? Successful being defined as beneficial to the whole local environment! Rabbits (deliberate)? Prickly pear (deliberate)? Rats (opportunistic)? Stoats (deliberate)? Mink (escapees)? Rainbow trout (supposedly sterile)? Wild boar (escapees)? Them big Carribean toads (deliberate)? Sparrows (deliberate)? Giant Hogweed (opportunistic)? Terrapins (deliberate)? Zander (deliberate)? Wels (deliberate). Various insects (scientific)? Rockling award for cleverness if you can list the countries afflicted by these various plagues. No point in being clever, the alien species will still prosper. I am sure others can add to this list. Introducing an enegetic predator can lead to a boom and bust situation, their population levels soar as they eat everything that is available then crash as the delicate balance of the eco-system tilts under the unequal pressures. Get a grip, Stavey! We just do not know the implications of what you suggest! No harm to you, mate, I am all for improving our fishing; I think the first step would be the banning of industrial fishing. Question: has there ever been a successful introduction of a foreign species anywhere in the world? This could be a good, in depth, thought-provoking thread. Please reply! Rockling. (eyeing the strange octopus that has appeared outside his brood's home) PS the most disruptive introduction has probably been the various incursions of members of homo sapiens! What price "progress"? I am reminded of George Orwell's quest to rediscover a childhood carp pond, "Coming up for Air" I think.

1. What time is it: 0143hrs nightowl! 2. Who is the whackiest? Bush? bin Laden? Blair? Michael Jackson? 3. Nicknames: None 4. Piercing: None 6. Place of birth: UK 7. Favorite food: Indian 8. Ever been to: Europe? Yes - often, love it. Is the UK part of Europe? Enduring question. 9. Ever been toilet papering (someone's house or yard)? Don't understand the question! 10. Love someone so much it made you cry? Yes, yes, yes .. and it continues! 11. Been in a car accident? Yes, 3 times. 12. Croutons or bacon bits: croutons, or free miniscule bits of toast? 13. Favorite day of the week: all of them! 14. Favorite restaurant: any good curry house but also any restaurante francais or italienne! 15. Favorite flower: snowdrop 16. Favorite sport to watch: golf 17. Favorite drink: Scotch (forget the water) 18. Favorite ice cream: Rasperry ripple. 19. Disney or Warner Bros.: Warner. 20. Favorite fast food restaurant: 21. What color is your bedroom carpet? Green. 22. How many times did you fail your driver's test? three times! 23. From whom did you get your last e-mail? a spam bot 24. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Harrods 25. What you do most often when you are bored? Plan for tomorrow. 26. Bed time: 2am-3am 27. Who will respond to this post the quickest? Possibly me? 28. Who is the forum regular that is least likely to respond? Have not a clue? 29. Favorite TV shows: Big brother. 30. Last person you went out to dinner with: My wife. 31. Ford or Chevy? Ford, by a mile! 32. What are you listening to right now? my wife! 33. What is your favorite color? Blue 34. Lake, river, ocean or sound? Ocean! 35. How many tattoos do you have? None 36. Time you finished this reply post? 01.55hrs. 37. Have you ever run out of gas? yes when taking the wife on a driving lesson!

Go to http://media.ebaumsworld.com/index.php?e=kayak.wmv He'll tow you for 50 miles! Rockling

Winter, see my post on the other fish intelligence thread, do you catch clever or stupid fish? Rockling.

3 peice solid glass boat/pier combination with a solid wooden handle. Scary stuff now but innovative in the 1970's. I bought the 8 foot 2 peice solid glass boat rod, it was milbro but had Milliard Brothers on it if I remember rightly. It served me well over many years, last seen in component bits at a car boot sale for club funds. Rockling.

Fish intelligence varies inversely with the intelligence of the angler trying to catch 'em. If you are too clever you only catch stupid fish!

Any 'licence' probably violates the rights granted the ordinary peasant (us) by Magna Carta regading access and use of the foreshore. I wonder if there is any mileage in this important treaty (the Crown bought off the nobles but important 'civil' rights were granted, in the bycatch, for the commoners, formerly serfs) with regard to denying compulsory identity cards? I know who I am, I dont need to be whatever some official might make me! Think about it. Rockling.

poise

laugh!

Go to http://www.angelrays.com/fla/diary.html Make your resolution! Very syrupy and sentimental, but nice. Stay alive in 2005! Regards Rockling.

Just got word that a good friend is safe, he had been planning to go to Phuket so I was very worried for him and his party. They stayed inland, on a whim, apparently. Getting messages out can be difficult but the situation locally is starting to show signs of some order. I would urge everybody to make a donation, simply what they can afford, to their own nation's relief effort. This is an astonishing disaster that has affected most people in the world. Unprecedented, as Kofi Annan declared.

queen

Cod is a good but sad read, particularly with regard to the collapse of the Grand Banks fishery through overfishing. Cant happen here? It is happening here, an urgent 10 year moratorium on cod fishing, and I would say on all commercial piscine species in the North Sea, is needed NOW! Rockling.

You will find that larger mackeral hang about after the summer shoals have returned North. In the Clyde they generally hung about in pairs and were easily spotted below the surface as they prowled about. I have seen mackeral falling to feathers in January to chaps shore fishing off the Greenock Esplanade. I don't know why the larger mackeral do this. Rockling.

Braid on the boat (multipliers)and for fishing snaggy rock marks (rotten bottom and carefully designed sacrificial traces, fixed spool reel). Mono for distance casting. I am undecided about using braid for spinning off the shore but have seen it used on the boat spinning/jigging to good effect. I would not go back to using mono in boat fishing as the sensitivity that braid imparts to your fishing rig is superb. Rockling.

Words Only Offset Prescient Spells. (H!) (Hell!)(..missing link?..) Try Onomatopoeia! Poops!

zombie warlord

Merry Christmas and best wishes to all for 2005 from Rockling and the brood.

I declare Jabee and Spanner totally "WOUND UP", Ha Ha, prize is a pi. Rockling